“The Last Supper” is a 15th century mural painting by Leonardo Da Vinci. Da Vinci began work on The Last Supper in 1495 and completed it in 1498—he did not work continuously on the painting. It depicts The Last Supper in the final days of Jesus, as told in the gospel of John, when Jesus announced that one of the twelve Apostles would betray him. It specifically portrays the reaction by each Apostle to this message. Their individual reactions are all slightly different, expressing various degrees of anger and shock. As was common of the depictions of The Last Supper from this era, Leonardo seats the diners on one side of the table, so none of them have their backs to the viewer. However, most other depictions typically excluded Judas by placing him alone on the opposite side of the table from the others. Another technique often used was placing halos around all the disciples except Judas. Leonardo creates a more dramatic and realistic effect by having Judas lean back into shadow.
The Last Supper was originally created for Da Vinci’s patron, Duke Ludovico Sforza and his duchess Beatrice d'Este. The Last Supper can be found at the wall of the dining hall at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy, where it covers the entire back wall.
